WNBA Draft Deadline

[MilfordHusky]

I went back and looked at last year's news. Alisha Gray and Kaela Davis declared for the draft on Monday, the day after S.C. won the NCAA championship last year. The article said that they had basically 24 hours after the game to decide. I inferred that the deadline was midnight on April 3 last year, which would make it midnight tonight, if the same rule is in effect. Can anyone confirm this?

I expecting that both Azura and Napheesa will stick around for next year, but I'm interested in who may declare early.

 

[bbballfan23]

I believe everyone must delclare by 11:59pm tonight. I expect some surprises. Wouldn’t be shocked if Z is gone. I think Pheesa stays for sure as I doubt she will have completed her degree.

As for ND I could see Shepard leaving if Turner returns. She will fade and become the 4th/5th option on that team bc they will have Turner posting, much how Z did & it made Pheesa lose touches. The difference is Pheesa is far more skilled than Shepard so she adjusted in the 2nd half.

Shepard just won a NC & was one of the focal points. Her stock will never be higher than it is now. Wouldn’t be shocked if Turner leaves either. Injury issues & limited time to make money. I’m hoping both leave for the sake of UConn haha.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Thanks. Shepard did not sit out a year--for some reason known only to the NCAA, ND, and God--so is she eligible? I actually think she has become a quite good player and is far superior to Turner on the offensive end. Yes, Turner is eligible. I thought there was no chance that she would leave, but who knows?!

 

[Centerstream]

I was asking the same question on Saturday and no one would confirm the date/time for declaring. Someone posted that the date had already passed unless your team was still in the tournament. But once you were out of the tournament, you had to declare within 24 or 48 hours.
Seeing that the draft is in 10 days, I would think that the WNBA GMs would want this information "yesterday" to know which non Seniors are eligible for the draft.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I was asking the same question on Saturday and no one would confirm the date/time for declaring. Someone posted that the date had already passed unless your team was still in the tournament. But once you were out of the tournament, you had to declare within 24 or 48 hours.
Seeing that the draft is in 10 days, I would think that the WNBA GMs would want this information "yesterday" to know which non Seniors are eligible for the draft.

Sorry, I may have missed your question. As you note, it may depend on whether a player's team was still in the tournament. But the absolute deadline seems to be 11:59 PM tonight. The WNBA should have a list tomorrow and hopefully will make it public soon.

 

[Aluminny69]

Morgan Tuck also declared for the draft right after winning the NC. I believe she had decided beforehand, but kept it a secret until after the NC.

 

[Shades]

You can breathe a sigh if relief if you don’t hear anything about declaring for the draft today. I would think it’d have to be within normal business hours, but I’m not sure about that.

I would be shocked if Turner would declare for the draft. Why redshirt if you don’t want to return, unless she changed her mind for unimaginable reason. She could have not redshirted and played some this year. She’s over a year removed from the injury. Now she would have nothing to showcase where she’s at. Makes no sense.

It makes sense that Shepard would declare, but who knows where her head is right now? She’s still probably celebrating her team’s improbable victory. It’s really not enough time for most players to make a rational decision.

The only player I’ve notice declare early is Jill Barta from Gonzaga. Not exactly a mover and a shaker. If she’s doing it, I can’t understand why the more prominent players who could actually secure a roster spot aren’t doing it. It could be a case of players afraid of facing the real world until they have to.

 

[Centerstream]

I posted a list of draft eligible kids, but I can't find it.
Jessica Sheppard is eligible. Probably due to her age?

 

[Orangutan]

 

[Shades]

Stevens Declares for WNBA Draft

 

[Centerstream]

Draft Eligibles (And where they’d go if they declared)
Projected first rounders
Teaira McCowan 6’7 C Mississippi State
Azura Stevens 6’6 F Connecticut
Sophie Cunningham 6’1 G Missouri
Jessica Shepard 6’4 F/C Notre Dame
Napheesa Collier 6’1 F Connecticut
Kitija Laksa 6′ F South Florida
Projected second rounders
Hallie Thome 6’5 C Michigan
Alexis Jennings, 6’3 F South Carolina
Kennedy Leonard 5’8 PG Colorado
Paris Kea 5’9 G North Carolina
Alexis Jennings 6’3 F South Carolina
Alanna Smith 6’3 F Stanford
Projected third rounders
Marina Mabrey 5’11 G Notre Dame
Lili Thompson 5’7 G Notre Dame
Sierra Calhoun 6′ G Ohio State
Regan Magarity 6’3 F Virginia Tech
Jatarie White 6’4 C Texas

 

[the Q]

You can breathe a sigh if relief if you don’t hear anything about declaring for the draft today. I would think it’d have to be within normal business hours, but I’m not sure about that.

I would be shocked if Turner would declare for the draft. Why redshirt if you don’t want to return, unless she changed her mind for unimaginable reason. She could have not redshirted and played some this year. She’s over a year removed from the injury. Now she would have nothing to showcase where she’s at. Makes no sense.

It makes sense that Shepard would declare, but who knows where her head is right now? She’s still probably celebrating her team’s improbable victory. It’s really not enough time for most players to make a rational decision.

The only player I’ve notice declare early is Jill Barta from Gonzaga. Not exactly a mover and a shaker. If she’s doing it, I can’t understand why the more prominent players who could actually secure a roster spot aren’t doing it. It could be a case of players afraid of facing the real world until they have to.

Re: Turner
Considering her injuries, why not start making money, especially overseas ASAP? She'd still probably be a first rounder, and if she proves she's healthy she'll get a healthy contract overseas.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Draft Eligibles (And where they’d go if they declared)
Projected first rounders
Teaira McCowan 6’7 C Mississippi State
Azura Stevens 6’6 F Connecticut
Sophie Cunningham 6’1 G Missouri
Jessica Shepard 6’4 F/C Notre Dame
Napheesa Collier 6’1 F Connecticut
Kitija Laksa 6′ F South Florida
Projected second rounders
Hallie Thome 6’5 C Michigan
Alexis Jennings, 6’3 F South Carolina
Kennedy Leonard 5’8 PG Colorado
Paris Kea 5’9 G North Carolina
Alexis Jennings 6’3 F South Carolina
Alanna Smith 6’3 F Stanford
Projected third rounders
Marina Mabrey 5’11 G Notre Dame
Lili Thompson 5’7 G Notre Dame
Sierra Calhoun 6′ G Ohio State
Regan Magarity 6’3 F Virginia Tech
Jatarie White 6’4 C Texas

Many more eligibles than I realized. Thanks. Brianna Turner should be included too, I think.

 

[Orangutan]

I posted a list of draft eligible kids, but I can't find it.
Jessica Sheppard is eligible. Probably due to her age?

Yeah, turns 22 in September. If you turn 22 the same calendar year as the draft, you are eligible.

Pretty rare for kids who haven't graduated to leave early, though. We've seen people who have graduated but have additional eligibility (e.g. Gray and Davis from SCar) leave a year on the table. But I think it's basically just Epiphanny Prince and Jewell Loyd that have gone pro without getting a degree first.

So I don't see Shepard going. Muffet was saying this weekend that two of ND's four ACL victims are leaving (Thompson and Johnson) and two are coming back (Turner and Vaughn). So unless it's another last-minute blindside a la Loyd, Turner should be coming back.

Turner and Shepard were friends through USAB before Shepard came to ND, so they may have it in mind that they want to play together.

 

[bbballfan23]

Re: Turner
Considering her injuries, why not start making money, especially overseas ASAP? She'd still probably be a first rounder, and if she proves she's healthy she'll get a healthy contract overseas.

Agreed, especially with girls & the higher probability of knee injuries. Maybe she didn’t want to risk coming back & reinjuring herself. I don’t think people realize how much money these girls can make overseas. It’s alot more than a degree can ever make you.

 

[Centerstream]

Many more eligibles than I realized. Thanks. Brianna Turner should be included too, I think.

I got this from a mock draft site.

 

[Orangutan]

Agreed, especially with girls & the higher probability of knee injuries. Maybe she didn’t want to risk coming back & reinjuring herself. I don’t think people realize how much money these girls can make overseas. It’s alot more than a degree can ever make you.

I don't know. Hannah Huffman got a job at Deloitte straight out of college. I'll bet in the long run she ends up out-earning mid-level WNBA'ers.

 

[bbballfan23]

I don't know. Hannah Huffman got a job at Deloitte straight out of college. I'll bet in the long run she ends up out-earning mid-level WNBA'ers.

WNBA salary set to double in a year or 2.

 

[MilfordHusky]

WNBA salary set to double in a year or 2.

Really??

 

[bbballfan23]

Really??

WNBA salaries in focus as Finals tip off

 

[MilfordHusky]

WNBA salaries in focus as Finals tip off

Totally missed that. Thanks!

 

[bballnut90]

Draft Eligibles (And where they’d go if they declared)
Projected first rounders
Teaira McCowan 6’7 C Mississippi State
Azura Stevens 6’6 F Connecticut
Sophie Cunningham 6’1 G Missouri
Jessica Shepard 6’4 F/C Notre Dame
Napheesa Collier 6’1 F Connecticut
Kitija Laksa 6′ F South Florida
Projected second rounders
Hallie Thome 6’5 C Michigan
Alexis Jennings, 6’3 F South Carolina
Kennedy Leonard 5’8 PG Colorado
Paris Kea 5’9 G North Carolina
Alexis Jennings 6’3 F South Carolina
Alanna Smith 6’3 F Stanford
Projected third rounders
Marina Mabrey 5’11 G Notre Dame
Lili Thompson 5’7 G Notre Dame
Sierra Calhoun 6′ G Ohio State
Regan Magarity 6’3 F Virginia Tech
Jatarie White 6’4 C Texas

Saw an interview where McCowan said she's coming back. Stevens is gone. I don't really see anyone on the first or 2nd round list who would leave. Doesn't make sense for players to jump if they don't have their degree yet IMO. The only exceptions to that were Loyd (who was the #1 pick) and Prince (who was the #4 pick), and none of the 3rd year players above would be top 5 picks with the exception of McCowan.

Also, Thompson is out at ND...she used her 5th year, so she's not playing college basketball anymore.


I do wonder if some of the 5th year players will be graduate transfers though. A player like Sierra Calhoun may be smart to transfer to a better program and leave the sinking ship that is Ohio State.

 

[j66kicker]

You can breathe a sigh if relief if you don’t hear anything about declaring for the draft today. I would think it’d have to be within normal business hours, but I’m not sure about that.

I would be shocked if Turner would declare for the draft. Why redshirt if you don’t want to return, unless she changed her mind for unimaginable reason. She could have not redshirted and played some this year. She’s over a year removed from the injury. Now she would have nothing to showcase where she’s at. Makes no sense.

It makes sense that Shepard would declare, but who knows where her head is right now? She’s still probably celebrating her team’s improbable victory. It’s really not enough time for most players to make a rational decision.

The only player I’ve notice declare early is Jill Barta from Gonzaga. Not exactly a mover and a shaker. If she’s doing it, I can’t understand why the more prominent players who could actually secure a roster spot aren’t doing it. It could be a case of players afraid of facing the real world until they have to.

Well hopefully Turner AND Shepard declare today, and Kalani Brown transfers to UConn under the "ND Roster Hardship" waiver protocol.

 

[Shades]

WNBA salaries in focus as Finals tip off

I didn’t see anything that said salaries are set to double. They would probably have to strike for that, and that might put the league at risk for folding. Nobody is making huge profits off the backs of these players. It’s a fledgling league.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Do we have a final list from the WNBA of those who declared for the draft?